Can Navy Afford Next-Gen DDG-51 Destroyer, Packard Award Or Not? -- Aol Defense News
WASHINGTON: It's not a Nobel Prize, but the Packard Award matters in the big-dollar world of defense procurement. Last week, utterly overshadowed by elections, the Department of Defense awarded the Packard to the Navy's DDG-51 destroyer, the sleek grey mainstay of the fleet.
With 62 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers already in service, four under construction, and at least nine more in the Navy's latest five-year plan, getting the DDG-51 right -- at the right price -- is critical to the Navy. The Packard Award recognized an innovative approach that saved an estimated $300 million over the three most recent ships -- and which might help the Navy afford the next, far more challenging phase of the destroyer's evolution.
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My Comment: So it appears that the next generation of U.S. destroyers will be costing $2.6 billion (or $3.6 billion) .... if that becomes the case, the US Navy will not be getting the number of destroyers that it wants.